The Heavens and Earth as the Path, the Mirror as the Gate
"Mi Xu Kingdom, located in the heart of the Loess Plateau, was once a small state during the Western Zhou Dynasty, destroyed by King Wen of Zhou in 1057 BCE, disappearing into the dust of history.
However, its legends never ceased.
According to unofficial histories and rumors, the First Emperor of Qin once secretly used the Mi Xu Kingdom ruins to experiment with the elixir of immortality. It is said that although the alchemist Xu Fu was ordered to sail east to seek the elixir, the real experimentation site was this ancient kingdom buried by time.
This legend has circulated in Lingtai County for centuries, sounding absurd and dismissed by scholars as mere fantasy.
But recently, an earthquake in Lingtai County made everything extraordinary.
Though the tremor was mild, the landslide revealed a mysterious relic.
As rescue operations proceeded, the local archaeological team discovered an ancient altar with a bronze mirror, fragments of bamboo slips, and remains of animals and humans.
News spread, drawing the attention of the archaeological community to this remote town.
Li Yan, an expert in Qin culture studies from the northwest, seemed destined to be invited, owing to the mysterious connection between the ancient bronze mirror and his father's disappearance.
The vehicle rumbled over the dirt road, and the rough mountain path made Li Yan's thoughts heavier.
He gazed out the window at the desolate Loess Plateau, where distant mountains loomed like ancient beasts hidden in time, silent yet menacing.
In his mind, the scenes of his father's disappearance fifteen years ago resurfaced—the strange laughter, the mirror's reflection under the oil lamp, and those inscriptions of unknown origin—pieces of a puzzle he could never solve.
"Could there be some truth to these legends? Qin Shihuang, the elixir of immortality, Mi Xu Kingdom… perhaps they are more than mere tales," Li Yan thought, feeling a sense of impending change deep within.
Finally, the vehicle reached the archaeological site in Lingtai County.
The place was bustling, with archaeologists working busily.
Professor Cheng, Li Yan's friend and the project lead, greeted him with a look of excitement.
"Li Yan, you finally made it! This discovery is extraordinary; come and see," Professor Cheng's voice carried unconcealed excitement.
Li Yan followed him into the tent and finally saw the long-awaited bronze mirror. Its surface was encrusted with rust from ages past, but the inscriptions on its back were clear.
Li Yan's heart skipped a beat—the mirror was almost identical to the one in his memories! This mirror seemed to be the same as the one his father had held before his disappearance.
Suppressing his excitement, he examined the mirror carefully.
The inscriptions on the back were intricate, many parts blurred by the ravages of time, yet he could still make out some of the characters.
"This is no ordinary burial artifact," he murmured.
"Try shining a light on the mirror," Li Yan suddenly suggested, a spark of anticipation in his eyes.
An assistant brought over a high-powered flashlight and aimed it at the mirror.
As the light reflected off the mirror, inscriptions appeared densely on the tent's inner wall—an image almost identical to the one in Li Yan's childhood memory!
"Endless life, heaven and earth undying…" Li Yan read the strange characters aloud, feeling as if fate itself was reappearing in this moment.
Professor Cheng frowned and asked, "What does this mean? We couldn't decipher it and have consulted numerous experts without success."
Li Yan's heartbeat quickened as a bold hypothesis flashed through his mind.
Immortality, heaven and earth, the mirror… could this mirror be more than a mere artifact?
In the afternoon, as the team left to rest, the camp quieted down.
Li Yan stayed alone in the tent, staring intently at the bronze mirror.
His fingers traced its surface as if trying to feel something from it.
When the light hit the mirror again, the inscriptions reflected began to flicker.
He stared at them, feeling that the characters weren't static; they seemed to change with the angle of the light.
"The mirror as a gateway… reversing heaven and earth… turning back time…" he murmured, feeling a surge of unease rise in his heart.
Suddenly, the bronze mirror emitted a blinding light, distorting the light inside the tent, making the air feel solidified, as though time had stopped.
"What's happening?" Li Yan felt a rush of panic and tried to back away, only to find himself immobilized, frozen in place.
The light from the mirror intensified, and its pull grew stronger. Li Yan felt his body being drawn toward the mirror.
He struggled, but in vain; the scene around him quickly blurred.
Darkness consumed his vision, and his consciousness sank into endless chaos.
…
When he opened his eyes again, everything around him had changed completely.
Before him was a dense forest, the scent of damp earth filled the air, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows.
Li Yan struggled to his feet, his limbs stiff, but he quickly noticed his body felt unusually light.
Looking down at his hands, he realized they were the hands of his younger self.
"I… I've become young again?" he muttered, shocked beyond belief.
Before he could process his situation, the sound of rapid hooves approached.
He looked up to see a group of cavalry charging toward him, while several ragged peasants were fleeing in panic.
"Qin soldiers!" one of them shouted in despair.
"A film set? A period drama?" Li Yan barely had time to think before one of the soldiers struck down a fleeing man with a sword. The headless body stumbled forward a few steps before collapsing.
Li Yan's mind went blank, and he turned to run.
The pounding of hooves grew louder, the soldiers' shouts ringing in his ears, filling him with intense fear.
Everything was happening so fast, and Li Yan felt a surge of terror in his chest.
Ahead, a steep slope appeared.
Without hesitation, Li Yan threw himself down the slope.
The pursuing soldiers, caught off guard by his sudden action, reined in their horses.
Li Yan rolled down the slope, dirt and rocks scraping his face, pain blurring his vision.
He finally crashed into a rock, darkness taking over as he lost consciousness.
In his final moment of awareness, only one thought echoed in his mind: "Did I… time travel…?"
Little did he know that his fate had veered entirely off course."